Grace Jordan Elementary

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On Friday, April 10 Mrs. Bond’s class and Mr. Ridenhour will be going around the school watching birds. The students are supposed to bring a towel because the grass will be wet. If the students have binoculars they are welcome to bring those too. Then they will be able to see the incredibly beautiful birds close up. The students expect to see many song birds, Mallard Ducks, Northern Flickers and maybe they would see Canada Geese too. Tune in next week to read what the students observed!

On Friday, March 13, Mr. Ridenhour came into Mrs. Bond’s classroom and talked about birds roosting and nesting. “Nesting is a lot different than roosting” said Mr. Ridenhour. First, roosting is when birds perch or rest. Nesting is when birds lay eggs, incubate and raise offspring. “There are many types of nests”, said Mr.Ridenhour.

Secondly, Mr.Ridenhour talked about nests. The first nest was a scrape. A scrape is a shallow hole. For example, falcons will nest in a scape. There is also a nest called a mound. A mound is a pile of leaves, grass, and mud joined together to make a pile. Flamingos nest in those type of nests. The third nest is a burrow. Burrows are holes on the side of a cliff. Burrowing owls nest in the burrows. Next, the cavity is a hole in the tree. For example, the Kestrel bird nests in a cavity. The 5th nest is a cup nest. It’s a regular nest made out of mud, grass, and sticks. For example, Goldfinches nest in a cup nest. The platform is a nest on a high flat area. For example, the Osprey will nest on a platform. A pendant is the coolest nest and in my opinion, the rarest. A pendant is a long, woven hanging sack. Orioles like that type of nest.

Lastly, is the man- made nest. The man- made nest is a nest made by a person. This type of nest is also known as a birdhouse. Many different types of birds nest in the man made nests.

Therefore, there are many different nests with different, unique birds living in each.

Over the break, students experienced the excitement of feeding birds! Part of the fun was figuring out how to hang our new personal bird feeders. Ribbon, yarn, coat hangers and a variety of other supplies were used to get them up ASAP. In addition,many students had stories to tell about tricky squirrels attacking their feeders. Check out the creative contraption Mahala made from a milk jug and soda bottle in our photo gallery. Finally....the birds! Although some saw few, others reported doves, juncos, finches and even a flicker or two! Grace Jordan says, "THANKS BIRD BY BIRD!"